Ashley Rae and the Art of Letting Go.
- Editorial Board
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
A raw conversation on vulnerability, storytelling, and turning heartbreak into a first EP.
Today we have the pleasure to have Ashley Rae here on Goathead.
GHR: What first sparked your interest in writing and music?
AR: It actually started in high school English classes. We were studying transcendentalism, and the mix of religion and nature opened my eyes to how deep meaning in writing and music could go. Music came later, when I realized the emotional response I had to artists like Hozier and Lord Huron felt deeply personal. I wanted others to feel music the way I did, to find meaning hidden in the melodies. Everything truly clicked after a Lord Huron concert earlier this year. I traveled from Rhode Island just for it, and the lead singer, Ben Schneider, drew a tattoo for me. That moment felt bigger than anything I owned. When I got home, I knew this was what I was meant to do, and I immediately started building my music career on my own.
GHR: Have you performed live yet, or is that something you are working toward?
AR: I actually have never performed live. The closest I have come is karaoke at a friend’s birthday party. It is something I both look forward to and dread. I have intense performance anxiety, but I know sharing what I have created and giving the music a visual life will be worth it.
GHR: Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
AR: My songwriting happens in two parts. First, I collect one-off lines I love and save them until they form a story about how I am feeling or what I have gone through. I light a candle, get comfortable, and let myself feel things I have been hiding. I write everything down, even if it is not poetic, and refine it later. The second part is the instrumentals. I build the sound separately from the lyrics, revisiting saved notes and chords until the music feels right emotionally. Then I match the rhythm of the lyrics to the instrumental. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes days. Once the foundation is there, I bring it to a producer to shape it into a finished song.
GHR: What motivates you to keep creating music?
AR: Music exists in everything. It sets the tone in films, plays in our cars, lives in our earbuds, and gives energy to gatherings. It is part of daily life for everyone. Music carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life, when I felt completely misunderstood. I want to create music that does the same for others, so they know they are not alone. I often use characters to tell my stories, hoping listeners see pieces of themselves in them.
GHR: What are you currently working on?
AR: I am working on my first EP. After Dark Magic was received with so much love, I wanted to move straight into the next project. The EP tells the story of a man who falls deeply and blindly in love, sacrificing everything he has. The love is not returned, and he moves through perseverance, heartbreak, and finally acceptance when he breaks free from the memories holding him captive. I wrote these songs months ago during a similar experience, so the lyrics feel very raw and vulnerable. One song is finished, and two more are still in progress. I cannot wait to share the full project.